The field of the present disclosure relates generally to laminate structures and, more specifically, to systems and methods for use in fabricating laminate structures.
The fabrication of multi-layer laminate structures generally uses bonding layers of metallic (e.g., aluminum, titanium, or corrosion resistant steel (CRES)) and/or non-metallic (e.g., carbon fiber, boron, or fiberglass) reinforcement material together with a matrix material to form a rigid structure. The reinforcement material strengthens and stiffens the laminate structure, and the matrix material supports the reinforcement material after the curing process. Multi-layer laminate structures generally have a high strength-to-weight ratio and may be formed in a variety of shapes and sizes.
Forming multi-layer laminate structures generally includes positioning a first layer of reinforcement material in a layup position, applying a matrix material to the first layer, positioning a second layer of reinforcement material in a layup position over the first layer, and repeating this process until the laminate structure includes a desired number of reinforcement layers. As such, forming multi-layer laminate structures is a complex process that includes several intermediate steps that are typically performed by a single technician. Accordingly, it may be common for errors to occur during the layup process that may be undetectable to a technician until post-fabrication, non-destructive inspection of the laminate structure. For example, it may be common for foreign objects to become embedded between layers of the laminate structure. In addition, other common errors include failing to identify or correct errors in ply orientation or layup sequence, and/or the presence of surface defects in the ply layers. Further, when forming laminate structures from non-metallic reinforcement material such as carbon fiber cloth, the material may have a limited usable lifetime. Accordingly, fabricating multi-layer laminate structures may be an expensive and time-consuming process.